


I Vow, to You

by ali_aliska



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Established Relationship, Everyone is in love and nothing hurts, Fluff, M/M, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark Friendship, Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan Wedding, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Rhodey/Sam briefly mentioned, Tony Gets Emotional at Weddings, Tony Stark POV, indulgent fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-11 20:47:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19934254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ali_aliska/pseuds/ali_aliska
Summary: Tony doesn’t do well at weddings, he decides, not when he’s sitting here, blinking away tears. There’s something to be said for salvaging his reputation, but his best friends are getting married, everyone is so happy, and he’s not at this weddingalone. Maybe some things really are worth a happy tear or two.[2019 Winteriron Week, Day 2 -Weddingsand 2019 Tony Stark Bingo, T3 -Domesticity]





	I Vow, to You

**Author's Note:**

> Winteriron Week Day 2!
> 
> This is basically 5k of Tony getting emotional at weddings, it's ridiculous.

Pepper is radiant as she walks down the aisle, in a way Tony’s never seen before.

He’s been lucky enough to see many facets of this vibrant, incredible woman over the course of their lives. He’s seen her in her element, clad in a flawless business suit and heels sharp enough to kill, standing proudly at the head of a table filled with stuffy, old men, ready to put that shrewd talent and intellect none of them can match to good use. He remembers how the sight of her made him grin, how proud he was of her accomplishments.

He’s seen her in old, ratty t-shirts too— _his_ ratty t-shirts—and loose pajama pants that hid her beautiful curves. No make-up, hair in disarray, take-out in hand and cheeks creased with laughter. He remembers how that level of comfort made his heart skip a beat with gratitude.

He’s seen her literally _glow_ —his fault, dammit, but even then, she’d been the one to save his ass—and today he finds her breathtaking too, in an entirely new way.

Her father is walking beside her, beaming with pride. Guests all around them are getting misty-eyed, there are echoes of sniffles beneath the notes of Wagner’s Bridal Chorus, and the beautiful setting—the blossoms of the fruit trees, the gently swaying lilacs, the vibrant greens, a perfect spring wedding—should be equally captivating, but Tony only has eyes for Pepper.

Today, he knows, she won’t be looking at him.

The melancholy should’ve kicked in by now, crawling up his throat, tar-thick and ready to choke him on all of his regrets—but the last two years had been a rollercoaster of the new and the unexpected and there’s only a wisp of that melancholy now, that tug of ‘what if’ somewhere deep, deep in his breastbone.

It’s gone when he sees the ridiculously sappy look on Happy’s face.

To say that Harold Joseph Hogan is _happy_ has to be the understatement of the century and at any other time, Tony would’ve offered him a wink and a grin, but he knows Happy’s world doesn’t include him right now either. It doesn’t include anyone but his soon-to-be wife and things are exactly as they should be.

Metal fingers brush over the back of his hand, asking for permission, and when Tony turns his hand over, those fingers lace together with his. The grip is familiar, grounding, and Tony turns to smile at James, knows James can see that Tony’s getting a little misty-eyed too.

Because Pepper and Happy, who deserve their own slice of happiness more than anyone, are getting married today, and Tony is here with them—he’s _here_ and there’s no bitterness, no regrets, no hurt, none of the awful things he remembers sitting rotten and dark in his chest the day he found out about them.

Charitably, he likes to think he would’ve gotten over his selfish self-pity and would’ve been happy for them in the end, even if he stood at this wedding alone.

James brings their laced hands up to his lips, drops one tender kiss to Tony’s knuckles, and settles their hands back between them, his focus again on the bride and groom.

Tony _isn’t_ alone today and his chest lurches again, a different sort of gratitude and affection flooding him whole.

He tries to breathe through it and looks straight ahead.

His lips twitch. Even Pepper is not immune to the emotional atmosphere and she’s blinking away tears as she smiles— _beams_ —at whatever Happy is saying. They’re exchanging vows and Tony knows it’s only polite to pay attention, but in his defense, he’s heard these soft declarations of love many times before. He’s seen them too, when Pepper and Happy would visit the Compound, in each careful kiss on the cheek, the gentle hand at the dip of Pepper’s back, the soft way they spoke to each other, the way their gazes always found the other in a crowded room.

They were so careful with Tony back then, curbing their own affections to spare his feelings and to this day, Tony feels equal parts guilt and gratitude. They shouldn’t have needed to do that and he would have never asked, but he appreciates it all the same. He remembers how the world crashed around his ears then, so quickly and thoroughly. Pointless fights and betrayals cutting a little too deep. Rhodey’s permanent injuries and Tony’s own stint at the hospital to stitch his chest back together. Then Ross, then the Accords and months of bitter fighting for scraps of leverage and power. Amendments and rewrites, congressional hearings and interviews, back and forth across the world to salvage the work Tony refused to give up on.

Then, one quiet night, Pepper and Happy approached him with their timid confession. Three days later, Steve and his crew flew back home.

There may have been a few workshop binges after that and the floor may have been littered with liquor bottles, but Tony re-emerged, into a world where his friends were on a new path that would inevitably diverge from his own, where his former teammates were once again just down the hall, where he felt infinitely _alone_ , and he vowed never to let himself be vulnerable again. He’d be cold, aloof, and do nothing but focus on the work ahead until something—or someone—managed to put him six feet under.

That vow, of course, lasted all of three days.

It was James who came and ruined Tony’s nihilistic cynicism and dramatic rejections of all love and happiness with his apologies and soulful eyes and a quiet confession that he wished he would’ve died in that bunker if it meant easing Tony’s pain.

Another death and more blood on his heads? It wouldn’t have helped and Tony told him as much.

_“Then what can I do? Whatever it is, I’m willing to try.”_

Tony’s first instinct was to tell James to go to hell, but there was something that stopped him, something about James and that earnest demeanor, something about the hunched shoulders and the ghosts of pain and loss lingering behind those blue eyes that made the first crack splinter through Tony’s defenses.

_“You wanna be useful? Go change out of that nice shirt. I’m rebuilding my whole lab, top to bottom, and I wouldn’t mind kicking back with a beer while someone else does all the heavy lifting.”_

Tony never mentioned he had more than a dozen suits and Friday ready to help. James never mentioned it either.

That night ended with both of them dirty, sweaty, stuffed full of cheeseburgers and fries from the 24-hour dinner one town over, and telling each other progressively more ridiculous stories from their past lives.

It only got better from there.

Tony supposes he can never stay away from things that surprise him. He likes to take things apart and learn the intricate details, to see how it all works, and James was an anomaly who bucked every one of Tony’s expectations and turned them on their head and Tony remembers how badly he wanted to know _more_.

Through it all, Tony helped James recover and acclimate to his new world and James managed to get Tony to _live_ again and that, perhaps, was the most surprising part of it all.

It’s Pepper’s turn to deliver the vows and she’s saying something sweet, something fond and amusing, a little anecdote about her and Happy’s shared journey. Tony grins and blinks away his own tears.

These last two years have been a whirlwind. He’s lost friendships and love, his world turned upside down and inside out more times than he cared to count, but if things had gone differently, he wouldn’t be here right now. He wouldn’t be watching his two best friends getting married and his head wouldn’t get to rest against James’ shoulder. If he’d taken a different path, he would’ve never had that small kiss pressed to the crown of his head.

* * *

“Now, I’ve known these two love birds for a long, long time and let’s just say, we’ve had a few wild rides.” The people around him laugh and Tony grins and waits for the sound to settle. “I could tell you a million stories, good, bad, and downright ridiculous. I could tell you that these two are _incredible_ , best friends a guy could ever have. Hell, I could even say, had it not been for these two angels right here, along with a certain Colonel… Well, I wouldn’t be standing here, delivering this poorly rehearsed speech and making the love birds nervous because they just _know_ I have something embarrassing and racy to share at their wedding.” 

Pepper is shaking her head, exasperated and fond, but it’s fine because this is their beautiful, familiar _normal_. Tony returns her smile in equal measure and it’s not melancholy that makes his next words tremble.

“I could say all those things, but tonight’s not about me and it’s not about these stories. It’s about Pepper and Happy, these two amazing human beings—amazing in their own right, both strong and courageous and kind in a way that you have to experience to understand. All of us here have been lucky enough to have had a taste of that kindness and when two people like this come together, it’s—” Tony takes a breath and tries not to bawl like a child in front of dozens of people, and it’s James he looks to, just one glance, but it’s more than enough. “It’s humbling and it’s invigorating. I’ve had the privilege to love them both for many, many years, and to have the chance to stand here today and celebrate their love and their future is a gift. Love is… tricky and it’s complicated and no one knows how to define it just right, but I think, when all’s said and done, it comes down to trust.”

_“Us, this, it’s a bad idea, isn’t it? Something’s going to go wrong, we’ll hurt each other… I’m not sure I can get my heart broken again, James. I can’t.”_

_“I know, sweetheart, and all I can do is ask you to trust me, to trust yourself. The worst has already happened to us and—if all we have is friendship, I’ll be happy, but Tony, you’ve been the brightest part of this new world for me and everything else be damned, I just want to be with you. If you want this too, if you’re willing to give this a try…”_

_“I want to. I’m not sure there’s anything I want more.”_

_“Then trust me, trust that I’m head over heels in love with you.”_

_“I— God, I really think I do.”_

“The ability to open up to another, to leave yourself vulnerable, to take on the burdens of someone else and trust them— _trust_ that they will do the same for you, that when they see you at your worst, they’ll stand by you, that when they see you at your _best_ , they will not feel envy… Through thick and thin, isn’t that how the saying goes?” He winks at Pepper and Happy, if only to pretend he’s not aching inside, overwhelmed by the moment. “Pep, Happy, you don’t need me to tell you to trust one another. You are both amazing and you’re ridiculously in love—and seriously, who let me ramble on for this long? Is there a timer?” Laughter ripples through the crowd again. “Let’s all just agree these two will be fantastic together and let’s congratulate the happy couple! To Pepper and Happy!”

“To Pepper and Happy!”

Everyone cheers and the room fills with the clinking of glasses as Tony settles back in his seat. Despite the cheeky ending, the rest of his speech is a little too close to the intimate truth, but thankfully, everyone’s attention is on Happy’s brother now, who gleefully begins to recount a story from their childhood, so Tony is safe from prying eyes. James doesn’t miss a thing though and he scoots a little closer to sling a casual arm around Tony’s shoulders. The weight and the touch are both soothing, but Tony still finds himself on the verge of tears—ridiculous, really—and this he blames entirely on James who chooses that moment to press a kiss to Tony’s temple and whisper a private “Love you, sweetheart,” that no one but Tony can hear.

* * *

Tony insists that he is _not_ in fact ‘next’, but Pepper is relentless. He has an impossible time saying ‘no’ to her on a normal day, so he is powerless at her wedding, and this is why he finds himself on the dance floor.

“You look beautiful tonight,” he says as they sway to the melody and he’s trying to be a well-behaved gentleman, but she just rolls her eyes at him. She knows him too well.

“Tony.”

“What? You do look beautiful! I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’re always gorgeous, but there’s something about all the lace and the pretty white and the sparkles—oh, and marrying the love of your life, that probably adds a tiny bit to the overall glow you have going.”

“You’re ridiculous,” she says and they both grin at each other. He twirls her under his arm, the movements easy and playful, and then spins her back into his embrace.

“Thank you for being here tonight,” she says after a few turns. “You know it means the world to me. To both of us.”

Tony smiles, but there’s a part of him that sinks into guilt. Pepper should’ve never had a reason to think he’d be anywhere but here. “No matter what, I would’ve never missed your wedding. You two are my closest, dearest friends. You know I love you both.”

“I never doubted that, Tony, but we both know this wasn’t easy for you, at least not in the beginning.”

“Yeah, but that’s because I was acting like a jealous, petty ass.”

She hums. “Okay, there might be some truth to that, but we also should’ve been honest with you and between us springing it on you like that and Rogers coming back with his merry band of criminals—”

“Hey now, we don’t call them that anymore. Bad for public image. We call them ‘disgraced but very apologetic superheroes’ these days.”

“‘Apologetic’ my ass,” she mutters and Tony has to laugh because she is gorgeous and glowing and hearing her say ‘ass’ while twirling in her wedding dress is hilarious. “Don’t laugh, Tony, you and I both know it’s true and just because you decided to play nice with Rogers because you’re dating James—”

“Working together and giving each other horribly awkward smiles at debriefs hardly counts as getting along.”

“—but I’m still sore over the whole thing, especially since you never let me threaten any of them. But I suppose that’s neither here nor there anymore, is it?”

“That’s right. It’s your wedding and we’re only allowed to talk about nice things.”

“All I was saying,” Pepper tries again, because she is nothing if not determined, “is that the whole relationship, it was hard on you, which is understandable, but I’m just… I’m just so _happy_ we’re all okay now and that you’re here and I love you very much and—okay, maybe I _am_ a little emotional right now, but it’s my wedding and—”

“Are you _sure_ you’re not pregnant?”

She doesn’t miss a step as she smacks him lightly on the shoulder. “No, I am not. Would you stop saying that?”

“Because let me tell you, I am so ready to be the eccentric, billionaire uncle who spoils all your kids with ice cream and toys and nonexistent bed times. Oh, and I’m already building them robots, I hope you know that.”

“Of course you are.” Her hand brushes over his cheek, the touch gentle now, and maybe there’s a tiny part of Tony that longs for what was, the one that remembers their first dance, remembers the thrill of holding Pepper in his arms, the way his legs went weak in the knees when he kissed her for the first time.

The feeling is fleeting. He leans in to kiss her chastely on the cheek, and whispers, “I am so happy for you, Pep.” His chest aches only because he means it.

Pepper leans into him and her head still fits perfectly in the crook of his shoulder. Whatever echoes of the past are still there, they settle into a warmth held together by renewed friendship, by loyalties tested and strengthen, by love that morphed and redefined itself, but never truly faded. They sway to the music and Tony breathes in the smell of her, familiar even after all these years.

Tony loses count of the minutes, but at some point, he feels Pepper perk up in his arms. “Uh oh. I think your boyfriend’s in trouble. Ooh, yeah, my cousin’s gotten to him, good lord.”

Tony turns them so he can see over Pepper’s shoulder and—yup, there’s Vanessa, who he hasn’t seen in a few years, giggling and touching James’ arm—oh, Tony knows that move—while James stands there with a plastic smile that’s about to slip off and turn into a murder glare that will only marginally cover up his general terror over the tiny blonde unabashedly flirting with him.

Tony wants to giggle. Oh, his poor, sweet James.

“You better go rescue him, Tony.”

“I guess so. That’s what I get for picking the pretty one, huh?”

They part with another exchange of kisses, one for each cheek, and Tony spares her one more glance, watches her float across the dance floor and into her husband’s arms. He watches them and smiles before heading over to the refreshments table.

* * *

He sidles up next to James without preamble, slides a very obvious arm around his waist and plants an even less subtle kiss on his cheek. “Hello, darling, how is— Oh, Vanessa, hi! Long time, no see!”

Poor Vanessa’s eyes widen to saucers and her mouth falls open and he has to watch the poor girl turn bright red as things click into place. “Oh my god, Tony, I’m so sorry—” Her eyes dart to James. “Oh lord, I was— I was flirting with the Winter Soldier? Why didn’t someone tell me?”

Tony feels bad for laughing. “That’s what you get for going over to Cambridge for your Masters instead of going to MIT like I told you. No wonder you didn’t recognize my boyfriend.”

“Well, there’s so many of you superheroes now, I can’t keep up with the gossip! You’re the one who never visits!” She turns to James and begins to wave her hands frantically. “My gosh, I’m so sorry, how awful of me, if I woulda known—”

“It’s my bad,” James slides into his gentleman routine and now he’s all smiles. “S’been a long time since anyone flirted with me like that—well, until I met this guy, of course.” He kisses Tony’s temple. “And I was being real awkward myself, wasn’t I? No harm done, it was lovely meeting you, Vanessa.”

She gathers herself quickly, easy-going as ever. “Oh, I better go tell Gin-gin about this. Usually, I’d never, lord knows she doesn’t need more ammunition, but it’s her wedding and she’ll get a kick out of this! It was good seeing you, Tony!” She darts in for a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t be a stranger and let’s catch up, okay? Text me!”

She dashes away with the same energy, leaving Tony and James to themselves.

Tony does give into a snicker when James lets out a big breath.

“Thanks for the rescue, sweetheart. You’d think I’d handle these functions better after all the galas you’ve dragged me to.” He rakes a hand through his hair and anyone else would’ve ruined their carefully styled look, but of course James only manages to make himself look more handsome. It’s a skill Tony never fails to appreciate. “She was so sweet that I didn’t have the heart to tell her at first and then it would’ve been real awkward to blurt out ‘I’m not single!’, and so my brain just froze all to hell at that point.”

Tony kisses him again sweetly. “Yes, you can be an awkward disaster sometimes, babe, but you’re _my_ awkward disaster and I wouldn’t have you any other way.” Tony tugs on his hand. “Come on, I danced with Pep, so now you gotta dance with me, soldier.”

James follows, as he always does. He’d follow Tony to the end of the Earth and that sort of dedication and loyalty still manages to leave Tony breathless.

Thankfully, they’re granted another slow song and it’s different—wonderful—to be the one to rest his head on James’ shoulder.

They don’t chit-chat, content to sway in time with the music. Tony memorizes every detail he can, the soulful tune, the low lights, the smooth glide of his shoes against the floor. There’s a heavy hand on his hip, Vibranium able to break bone with a flick of the wrist, but Tony has never felt safer. The press of James’ body is a constantly craved comfort, the way his breath tickles Tony’s cheek a delight.

There’s another whispered, “Love you, doll,” and Tony commits that to memory too. He doesn’t need to, James never lets him forget, but he also knows life is fleeting and every moment like this has to be kept close to heart. 

* * *

The balcony overlooks the green hills and the still, glassy water of the lake; the clear sky above is peppered with stars. In the background behind them, Tony can hear the bass of the pop song that drove them both off the dance floor.

He and James lean over the banister, their eyes drawn to the world outside, but nature isn’t captivating enough to keep Tony’s attention. He can’t help but study James’ profile instead, the way it’s accentuated by the twinkling lights, framed by the darkness of the night sky.

 _He’s beautiful_ , Tony thinks, _and he’s mine_ , and while he doubts his worth sometimes, wonders what he did to deserve someone as amazing as James, here those doubts are quiet.

James meets his eyes. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, everything’s perfect. Thanks for being here with me tonight.”

“Nowhere else I’d rather be.”

“I mean it, James.”

“I know.”

Tony huffs and scoots closer so that they’re pressed shoulder to shoulder. “When I found out about Pepper and Happy… I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t react very well. With everything else going on, I think it was the straw that broke the camel’s back, you know?”

“I can only imagine. I know how much you loved her.”

“I didn’t exactly spend the months after our break-up _coping_ either.”

“No, you were dealing with our dumb asses turning airports into rubble.”

“Yeah, no, that probably didn’t help.” Tony feels no bitterness over that now, at least not with James, and he nuzzles James’ cheek to soften any lingering guilt, to remind him they’re just fine. “Back then, I still thought if I worked hard enough, if I was good enough, Pepper and I would get back together, and then I find out, no, she and Happy have been dating, for _months_.”

“And then we all come back from Wakanda not a week later. Talk about adding insult to injury.”

“Yeah, your timing sucked, my coping skills sucked even more… But in the end, I’m not sure I’d change a thing.”

_In the end, I got you._

Maybe Tony should skip the next wedding invitation. Clearly it’s this atmosphere that’s causing him to spill his heart and declare his undying love at a moment’s notice.

Tony offers James his open palm and the metal hand slides against it to lace their fingers together. As always, it’s a perfect fit.

“When I found out, even though it hurt like hell, I already knew they’d be great for each other. I knew, someday, I’d end up here, at their wedding, but I thought that whatever happiness I would feel would be tainted by my own bitterness, by all the regrets. Hell, by _jealousy_ , because I’ve never been much of a saint.” Maybe he’s rambling, but it’s okay, because James always listens. “I guess, what I’m trying to say—I’m so _happy_ , more than my half-drunk ramblings could ever convey, that tonight I’m not going to go back to an empty home where the only thing that awaits me is an overpriced bottle of whiskey and a pity party.”

Tony has had one flute of champagne all night and James knows this, but he doesn’t mention it. He leans in to bump his nose against Tony’s cheek, to pepper Tony’s stubble with a few kisses.

“I promise you won’t be alone tonight, sweetheart. _We_ won’t be alone tonight, to my utter dismay.” James chuckles and Tony only has to tilt his head to see the crinkles at the corner of his eyes, the ones Tony has memorized too.

“Yeah, by the looks of it, Rhodey and Sam are crashing on our couch tonight, aren’t they?”

“Unfortunately.”

Their place at the heart of Manhattan is closer than the Compound and neither of their friends had been shy around the bar, so with Tony and James both essentially sober, they’ll be playing the responsible adults for the night.

“Did you see the do-me eyes they were flashing at each other all night?”

“I think it’s all that liquid courage.”

“It’s ridiculous is what it is. They live at the Compound! Together! They see each other every day! And we—us, star-crossed lovers with our tragic pasts or whatever—got together before they did.”

“Maybe when they wake up on our couch tomorrow, they’ll give into the pining that’s been going on for years?”

“Hmm… Well, on the one hand, I’d love for the pining to end. On the other, I don’t want it to end on our couch. We just bought the thing!” They both laugh and snuggle in closer when a chilly gust of wind breezes by. “The kids, they’re staying with us too, right?”

“That’s right.” The playfulness is mostly gone and James’ voice goes suspiciously soft. “Tonight, our best friends are going to crash on our couch, our two brats are going to sleep in the guest room, and you and I will snuggle, nice and cozy and sweet, in our bed. And tomorrow, we’ll wake up together, like we do every morning, and we’ll make everyone breakfast and our kitchen is going to be filled with laughter and pancakes—”

“And two grouchy, hungover idiots and two bratty teenagers.”

“—and you will never, ever have to be alone again.”

Tony’s attempt at the joke fails, obviously, and there he goes again, blinking away tears. Good lord, is _he_ the one pregnant?

This is Pepper and Happy’s fault, clearly, for daring to have a wedding and no doubt they’ll be hearing all about it. Later, when Tony is a little bit more put together. Maybe after the honeymoon.

Tonight, however, Tony has no choice but to let his heart do what it wants and all it wants is to swell to ten times its size. He loves his little make-shift family, loves his friends, loves his work and the challenges that come with it. He loves their apartment and the view of his city, his home, loves their sunlit kitchen, and the smell of early morning coffee and quiet dinners for two. He loves James, this courageous, incredible man who saved Tony, who pulled him out of that dark, awful place, who chose to stand by his side.

Tony looks down at their joined hands and he knows it’s not time, he knows they’re not ready, not yet, but he can’t help himself. His thumb traces a line over James’ ring finger, over and over, mapping out an invisible ring.

James knows what Tony is thinking, but he doesn’t pull his hand away. He smiles instead and with his flesh hand on Tony’s chin, he pulls him in for a kiss. Tony’s eyes flutter shut and each press of their lips is gentle, reverent, and Tony’s more overwhelmed by this tenderness than any fleeting passion he’s ever had before. 

James murmurs, “I love you so much, Tony,” and through it all, Tony’s thumb keeps tracing that little line, one he’s going to paint a shining, beautiful gold someday.

“I love you too,” Tony whispers into the cool, star-lit night, feels the smile against his lips, and lets himself get lost in another kiss.

They stay pressed against each other, holding hands, and when they run out of kisses, Tony’s head finds its place back on James’ shoulder where it belongs. They enjoy each other’s company for a little while longer until the party spills over onto the balcony and they get swept up in the bright laughter and the infectious joy and the merriment that comes from the celebration of hard-earned, steadfast love.


End file.
